Nutrition and Fertility Quiz

Pre-Pregnancy Nutrition

• Pre-pregnancy nutrition and health care are crucial for a healthy pregnancy.
• A good nutritional status before conception is vital for successful reproduction.
• Fetal development is highly influenced by maternal nutrition.
• The mother's body provides the environment for fetal growth and development.
• Fertility is the actual production of children.
• Infertility is the lack of conception after a year of unprotected intercourse.
• Subfertility is when a woman ovulates infrequently.
• About 17.5% of adults globally fail to conceive within 12 months of trying to get pregnant.
• Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks.
• Causes of miscarriage include severe fetal defects, maternal infection, structural abnormalities in the uterus, and endocrine/immunological disturbances.
• Optimal nutritional status before conception is essential for development and maintenance of a person's reproductive capacity. Dietary intake, supplement use, weight status, and body fat all influence reproductive capacity.
• Optimal nutritional status before conception reduces the risk of neural tube defects and other birth defects in newborns.
• It also reduces the risk of iron deficiency during pregnancy.
• Underweight and overweight are associated with infertility.
• Low sperm count and hormonal changes reduce fertility in men.
• Disrupted menstrual regularity and ovarian hormone production affect fertility in women.
• In preparation for a healthy pregnancy, factors to consider include achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, choosing an adequate and balanced diet, being physically active, receiving regular medical care, managing chronic conditions, and avoiding harmful influences.
• Several factors can disrupt fertility, including adverse nutritional exposures, severe stress, infections, tubal damage or structural problems, and chromosomal abnormalities.
• Dietary patterns, nutrients, and body fat can negatively affect fertility by altering the environment for egg and sperm development and hormonal processes.
• Nutrient intake and body fat before conception also influence pregnancy health and fetal growth and development.
• Undernutrition in previously well-nourished women can reduce fertility, but recovers with increased food intake.
• During WWII, low calorie intake among women in Holland associated with changes in fertility processes.
• Excessive and inadequate body fat are linked to fertility decline.
• Excess body fat results in obesity (=BMI over 30 kg/m²), increasing the risk of infertility in both men and women.
• High levels of body fat lead to higher aromatase levels, lower testosterone levels, and elevated estrogen and leptin levels, which disrupt reproductive processes in men and women. In women, this leads to irregular menstrual cycles, anovulatory cycles, and amenorrhea. In men, it leads to decreased sperm production and erectile dysfunction.
• Inadequate body fat (being underweight) results in delayed menstruation, reduced fertility, delayed time to conception, amenorrhea in women, lowered libido, and reduced sperm production in men.
• A weight loss of over 10% in healthy individuals can result in low estrogen, LH, and FSH levels; leading to amenorrhea, anovulatory cycles, and short or absent luteal phases.
• This is also true for men, who experience decreased sperm viability and motility with reduced sperm production.
• Conditions such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are linked to poor fertility, miscarriage risk, preterm delivery, and low birth weight.
• Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals production is greater than the body's antioxidant defenses. Free radicals attack PUFA in sperm membranes and can damage eggs, follicular development, corpus luteum function, and implantation.
• Sources of free radicals include UV light, radiation, smoking, and air pollution.
• Antioxidants are crucial for protecting reproductive cells from oxidative stress; higher antioxidant intakes improve fertility in infertile women.
• Zinc is essential for reducing oxidative stress, sperm maturation, and testosterone synthesis. Zinc deficiency results in poorer sperm quality, concentration, and shape. Dietary zinc intake is important.
• Soy isoflavones are chemically similar to estrogen and can induce infertility when the intake of soy is high. These isoflavones are also related to reduced sperm count in men and reduced fertility in women.
• Infertility is related to low iron intake, leading to low iron stores in infants.
• Dietary iron can improve iron status by consuming vitamin C-rich foods, plant sources, iron-fortified cereals, and lean meats.
• Caffeine's effects on fertility are not yet consistently established.
• Consuming alcohol during the preconception period can lead to reduced fertility.
• Exposure to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, molybdenum, etc.) can decrease sperm production, abnormal sperm motility and shape, and disrupt hormonal communications; it is important to consider industrial pollution and consumption of contaminated water.
• High levels of physical activity can cause delayed menarche.
• PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is associated with irregular menstrual cycles, anovulation or other related problems.
• Most oral contraceptives are not associated with weight gain, except for progestin-only contraceptives. Hormonal contraceptives may cause changes in blood lipid levels, glucose metabolism, and increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
• The periconceptional period encompasses one month before conception to three months after conception.
• Gene function and early pregnancy development are highly modifiable during this period.
• Poorly controlled blood glucose levels during the first stages of pregnancy can increase the risk of fetal malformations, high infant birth weight, and even diabetes in the offspring later in life.
• Folate is important for DNA replication, amino acid synthesis, and vitamin metabolism. Inadequate folate can cause neural tube defects (NTDs) like spina bifida or anencephaly. A healthy amount of folate intake is crucial.
• Low energy intakes (due to food restriction, weight loss or eating disorders) may modify gene function in the embryo.

Test your knowledge on the importance of optimal nutritional status before conception and its impact on fertility. This quiz covers various factors influencing infertility, pregnancy preparation, and the role of body weight in reproductive health. Explore key concepts related to nutrition and fertility through these insightful questions.